• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
LunaCafe

LunaCafe

Regional, seasonal food with original recipes by Susan S. Bradley

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Getting Started
    • About LunaCafe
    • About Susan S. Bradley
    • About James H. Bradley
  • Holiday
    • Christmas Cookies: Deck the Halls
    • Christmas Cookies: Silver Bells
    • Christmas Favorites: Silver Moon
    • Christmas Cookies: Starry Night
  • Fresh Primers
    • Apple Primer
    • Apple Cider Primer
    • Artichoke Primer
    • Blueberry Primer
    • Cherry Primer
    • Cranberry Primer
    • Lentil Primer
    • Pear Primer
    • Rhubarb Primer
    • Strawberry Primer
    • Winter Squash Primer
    • Cranberry Garnishes
    • Temperature Guide for Cooking
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Berries/Fresh Primer: Strawberries

Fresh Primer: Strawberries

Everything you need to know about fresh strawberries, including season, selection, storage, preparation, cooking, great partners, and recipes.

Fresh Primer: Strawberries | LunaCafe
Honeoye Early Season Oregon Strawberries

If you ask ten people at random to name their favorite berry, eight of them will say, “strawberries of course.” And who’s to argue?

Fresh Primer: Strawberries | LunaCafe
Seascape Early Season Oregon Strawberries

In the height of Northwest strawberry season, it’s hard to imagine anything tasting better than these juicy, incredibly sweet, powerfully flavorful berries. They are simply perfection.

Strawberries seem to benefit most from the climate of the Northwest. Our local varieties are chosen not so much for their ability to ship well but for their flavor. They are usually not as large or as glamorous looking as California strawberries, but their intense red color is a near guarantee that they were picked fully ripe and will taste as nature intended.

Fresh Primer: Strawberries | LunaCafeSeason

Commercial strawberry growers have timed their field selections to ripen at about the same time that kids are released from school, thus insuring themselves an adequate supply of pickers. So the commercial season begins around June 1st, depending on the weather, and ends around July 15th. However, the season for independent growers (available at local farmers markets) extends from April for cold-frame strawberries though September for late-bearing field strawberries.

Selection

Northwest strawberry varieties are more perishable that those shipped in from out of state. They are fully juicy and will turn to mush if handled roughly. Look for bright red berries with no signs of oozing. Conversely, avoid shriveled berries or any with dry, browning stems. The fragrance of ripe berries should be discernible. Pick them yourself if at all possible or buy from a local grower. Above all, make sure that you are purchasing Northwest berries. Grocery stores sometimes carry non-local berries even after local berries are available.

Varieties regularly encountered at Portland Farmers Market in early June are Hood (sweetest, highly perishable, very short season), Seascape, and Honeoye. Additional varieties arrive as the season progresses.

Storage

Refrigerate strawberries, covered with plastic wrap, as soon as you get them home. Do not wash or hull them until shortly before you intend to eat them. If they are very fresh, they will keep for two to five days.

Preparation

Rinse strawberries under cold running water, and then remove the stem and hull in one operation. The easiest way I know to do this is to use a curved grapefruit knife; insert the knife along the edge of the stem, then change the angle somewhat and lift it out along with the stem and hull.

Cooking

There’s strawberry jam and strawberry sauce, and even strawberry soup, but if you really want to eat strawberries at their best, eat them raw.

Hood Early Season Oregon Strawberries

Great Partners

Almonds, anise, apricots, balsamic vinegar, bananas, basil, Beaujolais, black currant, black pepper, Brie, brown sugar, caramel, celery, Champagne, cinnamon, Cointreau, cream, coconut, cognac, cream cheese, crème fraîche, Curacao, Camembert, cherry, chocolate (dark and white), coffee, cranberry, egg, fig, Grand Marnier, grapefruit, guava, Kirsch, honey, kiwi, lemon, lettuce, licorice, lime, mango, maple syrup, mascarpone, mint, orange, parmesan, passion fruit, peach, pineapple, port, raspberry, rhubarb, sambuca, sherry, sour cream, star fruit, tequila, toast, vanilla, and yogurt.

Additional Pairings

  • Food Pairing
  • Khymos
  • Culinary Artistry
  • The Flavor Bible
  • The Vegetarian Flavor Bible

LunaCafe Strawberry Recipes

  • Heavenly Almond Yogurt Cake with Fresh Strawberries, Strawberry Caramel Sauce & Basil Sauce
  • Peanut Butter & Strawberry Lime Jam Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Shortcake with White Chocolate Crema, Strawberry Lime Sauce & Strawberry Lime Salsa
  • Fresh Strawberry-Tomato Dessert Sauce
  • Fried Banana Split with Mexican Chocolate Sauce & Strawberry Lime Salsa
  • Kicky Tomato Strawberry Gazpacho
  • Lemon & Thyme Marinated Artichoke, Tiger Prawn & Strawberry Salad
  • Prawn & Strawberry Salad with Fresh Herb Panna Cotta
  • Rhubarb Rose Petal Caramel Syrup + 4 Variations
  • Strawberry Basil Sour Cream Gelato
  • Strawberry and Shrimp Salad with Honey Mint Vinaigrette (PNP)
  • Chocolate Strawberries (PNP)
  • Crimson Rhubarb Mouse with Strawberry Gin Sauce (PNP)
  • Rhubarb Strawberry Parfait (PNP)
  • Strawberries & Honey (PNP)
  • Strawberries in Wine (PNP)
  • Strawberries with Liqueur (PNP)
  • Strawberries with Orange (PNP)
  • Strawberries: American Method (PNP)
  • Strawberries: French Method (PNP)
  • Strawberry Crème Brulée (PNP)
  • Strawberry Fool (PNP)

NOTE   PNP = Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking

Cookin’ with Gas (inspiration from around the web)

  • 2009 Berry Health Benefits Symposium
  • Heart of Washington Strawberries
  • Honeoye Strawberry
  • Hood Strawberry
  • Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission
  • Oregon Strawberry Commission
  • Oregon Strawberry Varieties
  • Seascape Strawberry
  • Strawberry Varieties
  • Strawberry Varieties Comparison Chart
  • Sweeter Redder, Simply Better
  • Washington Farms Strawberry Picking Tips
  • Washington State Horticultural Association
  • Washington Red Raspberry Commission

Written by:
Susan S. Bradley
Published on:
April 25, 2015

Categories: Berries, Fresh Primers, StrawberriesTags: Northwest, Oregon, Strawberries, strawberry primer, Washington

About Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bill Brikiatis

    April 14, 2011 at 4:06 am

    Home grown strawberries are even better than the varieties bought in the grocery store or farmer’s market because you get to control the conditions they are grown under. Plus, you can ensure that there are no pesticides used.

    • Susan S. Bradley

      April 14, 2011 at 4:13 pm

      Bill, agree, plus they are so pretty in the garden.

  2. Alta

    April 5, 2010 at 7:09 am

    While Texas is not known for our strawberries, those grown locally do taste REALLY great! I can’t wait until they’re in the farmer’s markets!
    .-= Alta´s last blog ..Kids in the Kitchen: Fried Ice Cream =-.

  3. Dana Zia

    June 11, 2009 at 3:56 pm

    Aloha! Yum, I can almost eat the strawberries off the screen! We have an organic grower down there that specializes in strawberries that are beyond compare. I can’t wait for our market to begin on the 19 because I have a whole host of recipes lined up for those nuggets. I think I will try your Crimson Rhubarb Mouse with Strawberry Gin Sauce first. Take care!
    Dana Zia
    [rq=3943,0,blog][/rq]The Most Devilish Cookies

    • sms bradley

      June 12, 2009 at 6:15 pm

      Hi Dana! I’m having difficulty leaving rhubarb behind and moving into strawberry land. But the strawberries are so luscious, I must make the leap this weekend. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

  4. Jeff

    June 9, 2009 at 6:39 am

    Great tips! Strawberries are my favorite too. I thankfully have about 30 plants in my backyard so this time of year it is an endless stream of grabbing them and munching away.

    Jeff´s last blog post..The Little Brioche that almost rose

  5. Maria

    June 8, 2009 at 11:01 am

    I love strawberries, great info!

    Maria´s last blog post..Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Spinach, and Portobello Mushrooms

  6. pigpigscorner

    June 8, 2009 at 11:57 am

    What a great post! The strawberries look beautiful!

    pigpigscorner´s last blog post..Simple Spicy Anchovies

    • sms bradley

      June 8, 2009 at 10:24 pm

      Thanks so much! 🙂

  7. Dana

    June 8, 2009 at 9:16 am

    Strawberries have always been my husband’s favorite but the first time he tasted a “real” one (not from Chile in January), his eyes rolled back. I am so excited for their season!

    Dana´s last blog post..Not How It’s Supposed to Be

  8. Amy I.

    June 7, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Your photos are delicious! I just made my first strawberry concoction of the season today, strawberry lemonade bars. I’m so excited that it’s strawberry season!

    Amy I.´s last blog post..Strawberry Lemonade Bars

    • sms bradley

      June 7, 2009 at 10:56 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. Balaton Cherry & Lime Crisp with Toasted Almond Streusel says:
    February 1, 2015 at 10:41 am

    […] Fresh Primer: Strawberries […]

  2. Fresh Strawberry Roundup says:
    May 23, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    […] Fresh Strawberry Primer […]

  3. Fresh Primer: Strawberries says:
    July 28, 2009 at 2:47 am

    […] Original post by sms bradley […]

Primary Sidebar

Susan S. Bradley

Intrepid cook, food writer, culinary instructor, creator of the LunaCafe blog, author of Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking, and former director of the Northwest Culinary Academy. Read More…

Find Recipes By Category

Recent Adventures

Fresh Apricot Ginger Peasant Cake

Fresh Apricot Ginger Peasant Cake is a simple, earthy cake in the Clafouti …

Continue Reading about Fresh Apricot Ginger Peasant Cake

Mulled Apple Cider with Winter Spices

Mulled Apple Cider with Warm Winter Spices, Cayenne & Hibiscus

Have you ever wondered what “mulled” actually means? As in Mulled Apple Cider? I always assumed …

Continue Reading about Mulled Apple Cider with Warm Winter Spices, Cayenne & Hibiscus

Apple Pandowdy (Juicy Caramel, Upside-Down, Broken Crust Skillet Pie)

Apple Pandowdy (Juicy Caramel, Upside-Down, Broken Crust Skillet Pie)

Okay first things first. What's a pandowdy? Or is it pan dowdy? And does "dowdy" mean what I …

Continue Reading about Apple Pandowdy (Juicy Caramel, Upside-Down, Broken Crust Skillet Pie)

Blueberry Lavender Limeade

After I created Fresh Blueberry Lime Sauce earlier this summer, I devoted myself to spooning it over …

Continue Reading about Blueberry Lavender Limeade

Search our site

Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates and to hear about our latest adventures!

We won't sell your email or send you spam.

Explore more

Footer

The LunaCafe

Copyright 2014-2021 | Susan S. Bradley. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2023 · Navigation Pro by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

  • Block Examples